


Miracles

by Luluthegreatandterrible



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCEU, Justice League (2017), Wonder Woman - All Media Types, wonderbat - Fandom
Genre: Christmas Eve, F/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21935644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luluthegreatandterrible/pseuds/Luluthegreatandterrible
Summary: Here's a little piece of Christmas fun, set in the DCEU in the years following the building of the Hall of Justice and the expansion of the Justice League. It appears to be part 3 of a series that I wrote by accident (I intended them to all be one shots) that include the stories "New Beginnings" and "Scars." Bruce and Diana have been living together and working with the League for several years, and Bruce is planning a Christmas Eve proposal when events transpire that truly test their relationship. Is it possible for heroes to have a happily ever after?
Relationships: Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Miracles

Bruce leaned forward slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees. Through the open doorway he could hear the sounds of the nearby festivities drifting down the hallway of what was once his childhood home, but which had long since been converted into the Hall of Justice. There had been renovations, of course, and extensive updates to meet their power needs, but if the League was going to protect the world, all of these things were necessary. In truth, events transpired far more fortuitously than Bruce ever anticipated. What began as a base of operations soon became much more, and now it seemed the League was expanding by the day as new assets to the team presented themselves. 

The idea to encourage members to socialize had been Clark's, of course. Logically speaking, it made perfect sense to have a connection to those with whom one had to work closely, especially in life threatening situations. From a practical standpoint, the reasoning behind this did not escape Bruce. The irony that the importance of human interaction was stressed by his friend who was literally an alien also did not escape Bruce. Then again, in many ways, Clark had always been more human than him, especially when it came to relationships. Things like healthy human relationships were always somewhat challenging for Bruce. They complicated one's life substantially and distracted from other priorities. Bruce avoided this kind of attachment for most of his adult life only to find himself on a team that actually worked well together. He made friends and even fell in love, possibly for the first time, with someone who truly loved him in return. Most days, this was a source of happiness. Today was supposed to be one of those days, but that was before the mission that went wrong and the argument that may have irrevocably damaged his relationship with Diana.

Bruce sighed heavily as he reached into the pocket of his jeans and extracted a small velvet ring box. He remembered the excitement on Diana's face when she declared that this year's social gathering for the League would be a holiday party on Christmas Eve, and that she wanted to plan it. She'd never planned a holiday party before, as they rarely entertained, but Diana was never one to shrink from a challenge. It was one of the things Bruce loved about her, that fiery spirit that never gave up. Now he could only hope that, after everything, she wouldn't give up on him.

It's not that they never fought before. Her stubbornness was just as bad as his and while she was both patient and understanding, Diana would not hesitate to call him out on his shit, which he honestly needed sometimes. In fact, since moving into his lake house almost two years prior, she rarely declined to speak her mind about anything. So,in lieu of this, Diana's current silence unnerved him more than anything. He could, of course, attribute her lack of communication over the past week to the fact that she was on a diplomatic mission to secure an alliance between the League and the Green Lantern Corps. Everything had been planned well ahead of time and Diana's original intention was to return home in time for the party. The fact that he argued with her shortly before she was scheduled to leave was just unfortunate timing. Bruce told himself that he shouldn't worry. Surely he'd made bigger mistakes than this and everything would be fine, but it was difficult to ignore the nagging anxiety that told him he had ruined his chances of having everything he ever wanted in one fateful evening.

If that was true, Bruce knew he had only himself to blame. He unconsciously clutched the velvet box tighter in his hand as if by sheer force of will he could manifest the outcome he desired into reality. Not that he informed anyone of his plans to propose to Diana on Christmas Eve, but Bruce was fairly certain that anyone who knew them would be confident that she would say yes. A week ago Bruce would also have been confident in this belief. Now he wasn't sure if Diana would come home for Christmas at all. If she did, perhaps it would only be to attend the party as expected and end things between them with the love and respect that she always brought to everything she did. He would fight for their relationship, of course, but if she was truly done he loved her enough to respect that and let her go. Certainly Bruce had survived worse, hadn't he? He would survive this too. Except the thought of no longer living and working beside her the way they always had was unthinkable. The mere idea of never holding her in his arms again made it hard to breathe. Deep down Bruce always knew the truth as certain as if etched in stone: regardless of the circumstances, losing Diana forever would likely break him. 

The sound of a creaking floorboard in the doorway alerted him to the presence of what would undoubtedly be an unwelcome visitor. He'd already been scolded earlier for the rudeness of his absence from the party by Alfred who, glass of chardonnay in hand, accused him of sulking in his room like a lovesick teenager. The awkwardness of that conversation was only shadowed by Bruce's amusement at seeing his father figure tipsy and enjoying the holidays properly with a house full of guests. Bruce lifted his gaze to the doorway, fully prepared to argue the validity of his absence with whomsoever felt like encouraging him to have a good time, but when his eyes fixed on the figure in front of him, the witty comment he planned died in his throat. Diana was clad simply in a crimson sweater dress and tights, and yet she was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She smiled at him, crossing the room slowly to come sit beside him on the bed. 

"Hi stranger," Diana said softly. For a moment neither of them spoke. She didn't seem angry and yet, for once, Bruce was truly at a loss for words, knowing that what he said now could potentially make the situation worse. "I was hoping you would be down here," she continued, filling the uncomfortable silence. "I wanted to talk to you before joining the party. Truth be told I wanted to talk to you all of this past week but I thought that, perhaps, you needed some space." "I thought that maybe you didn't want to talk to me," he replied, "but I missed you the entire time you were away." "You could have called or messaged me, Bruce. Since when have you ever hesitated to go after something you wanted?" Bruce exhaled slowly, looking up to meet her eyes and allowing her to see the truth in his expression. "You're right," he stated candidly, "but I was afraid of what you might say. The way things were when you left...I thought you might tell me that things were over between us." 

Bruce told himself that he was prepared for whatever her reaction might be, but the hurt and surprise on Diana's face informed him that he was dead wrong. "That...is not what people do when they love each other, Bruce," she declared, a pained tone in her voice that made his chest ache."Do you believe, after everything we have been through through together, that I would give up on you so easily?" Diana waited expectantly for his reaction, half assured that the present conversation would become yet another argument, but after the past week, even a fight would be preferable to the silence between them. She and Bruce had been living and working together happily for quite some time. They didn't always see eye to eye but what couple did, really? Then, they went out together on a routine mission as they had so many times before. The only difference was that this time something went wrong and Diana got hurt. It didn't matter that she was perfectly fine within the hour. Bruce blamed himself and when she tried to discuss what happened with him, he lashed out at her verbally and then shut down completely. Regardless of what she said to him after that, Bruce became an island that her words could not reach. Eventually, Diana made the difficult decision to put the situation on the back burner until she returned from her diplomatic trip. The League was counting on her to secure the alliance, after all. In a way, the timing (while superficially awful) gave her the opportunity to view things objectively, which was beneficial. Leaving things so unresolved while she was away weighed heavily on Diana's heart, however. 

Bruce flashed her a tired smile, but the anxiety that lined his face was unmistakable. "I have no frame of reference for a healthy relationship aside from what we have, so I'm not used to this thing where the person I'm with sees me at my worst and doesn't leave. I know I was a bastard. It's no excuse. But I do love you, and I'm sorry." Diana nodded in acknowledgement. Bruce's prolific dating history was something which rarely crossed Diana's mind. There had been more than a few casual encounters in his past, and several serious relationships that (by all accounts that reached her ears) left a trail of destruction in their wake. After so many years of collaboration with the League, she sometimes forgot that Bruce was naturally distrustful and guarded around most people. She knew that he trusted her with everything: his secrets, his hopes for the future, even his life, but the past cannot be overcome by sheer will alone, no matter how stubborn the spirit. Learning to love and trust again was something that, after nothing but negative experiences, took time and effort. 

Despite all the words that still needed to pass between them, Diana could not deny that he was making that effort. She felt the corners of her lips pulling upward involuntarily as she moved closer to him on the bed, interlacing her fingers with his. "And I love you, Bruce, but I'm still upset. We're supposed to be a team, you and I, and when things got difficult you...did not react well. It's not something that I am able to let go without talking to you about it. Believe me, I tried. I spent a week asking myself if I was overreacting or if my anger was justified. I didn't want to address the situation when I was angry because the last time we had a heated discussion I nearly put you through a wall." "I appreciate your restraint," Bruce noted with a smirk, "since you do have godlike strength and I have been known to occasionally try people's patience." Diana could not suppress the laugh that escaped her, "Occasionally? Hera, Bruce, don't sell yourself short…" She was met with only a shrug of acknowledgement and a decidedly grumpy expression. Now that Bruce was slightly annoyed but certainly less anxious, it occurred to Diana that they still needed to address the elephant in the room. She leaned into him slightly, resting her head on his shoulder. "Bruce...all joking aside, I really do need to talk to you about that night. I think the thing that's most upsetting me is that I truly don't know how things became an argument. Why, after all of the dangerous situations we've survived, was this the thing that made you withdraw from the people who love you...from me?" 

For a moment, the silence between them returned and Diana began to worry that perhaps she would not gain the insight she sought. His eventual response, however, was somewhat different than her expectations. "There was so much blood in my car on the way home," Bruce finally said, in a voice that had a strange, hollow sound to it. "I suppose that academically I always knew you could get hurt, but the files from Luthor never listed weaknesses, which in hindsight is odd. I guess I assumed that since your strength and speed were similar to Clark's that you would be more impervious to injury." Diana sighed trying to think of how best to explain something that they likely should have discussed long ago, "I am skilled and fast enough that I don't usually get seriously injured in a fight but yes, it is possible. Amazons are essentially immortal but we are not indestructible. I heal quickly and I am strong enough to survive most things but I can be hurt or killed in extreme circumstances. Had you really not given my limitations thought before that night?" "Not extensively, no," Bruce replied to her surprise, "because I don't actually want to sit around and contemplate your mortality. The entire drive home that night I was convinced that you were bleeding out in the passenger seat. Then, like magic, you were fine. You have no idea how relieved I felt, but I was still reasonably freaked out. I know we risk our lives all the time doing this job, but I guess I convinced myself that nothing bad could ever really happen to you because I needed to believe it. Unfortunately, reality slapped me in the face." 

"Could we not have just spoken about this? I will always be honest with you, Bruce. You know that. If you had concerns about my well being or the limitations of my powers…" "No. Diana, please." The unexpected tone to his words was so unlike the man she knew that it halted her rational argument abruptly."I couldn't talk about it then," he continued, shaking his head in frustration. "Hell, I can barely discuss it now. The truth is that I was definitely agitated, but I don't know that I was ever really angry with you. I regret everything I said that night, and if I'm ever foolish enough to act like that again you have my permission to knock some sense into me." Bruce rested his head on hers, the weight of which had comfortably settled on his shoulder. "I might take you up on that, you know," she noted, a trace of amusement in her voice. "I know," Bruce replied, closing his eyes and relishing the feeling of her body pressed against his, "and I also know that you can protect yourself and everyone else if need be, but I'm still going to worry about you now. Especially since I have a feeling that neither of us are retiring anytime soon." Diana smiled softly to herself, "What was it you said to me once when we talked about the dangers of forming the League? That this is the job? That hasn't changed and neither have we. I don't know that either of us could be content doing anything else. But it doesn't mean we can't have a good life. There is joy all around us, Bruce. You just have to take a moment to look and you will find it." 

As if on cue, sounds of music and merriment from the Christmas party echoed down the hall. What he would have given to hear those sounds fill the same halls in the years after his parents' deaths. A Christmas with family and friends was one of many things that Bruce gave up on long ago, but now it seemed like so many things were becoming possible that he never dared to hope for before. Bruce had the strangest feeling, in that moment. It was almost as if everything he ever wanted was right in front of him, and all he had to do was reach for it. His eyes opened slowly and he glanced downward at their fingers, still intertwined. In his other hand, purposely concealed at his side, the velvet box began to feel like a living thing that might make its presence known at any moment. His instincts, which were usually correct, seemed to scream that this was (by some strange twist of fate) the right time.

"I remember everything we said to each other during those days," he said as he actively focused his breathing, attempting to squash the anxiety that suddenly decided to make a comeback, "because I didn't think we would make it through the fight with Steppenwolf. I already knew what I had to do if Clark couldn't be revived or wouldn't join the fight, and I was okay with that. My life wasn't worth more than the whole world. The biggest regret I would've carried with me was never having the nerve to tell you how I felt about you. By the time we realized that invasion was imminent...I just always thought there would be more time. More chances to see if there could be something between us." 

Diana pulled back slightly to look at him. "You never told me any of this," she stated, curiosity lacing her words. "Why mention it now?" For a second, she watched as Bruce took a slow breath, exhaling deeply. He seemed to be working up his resolve as she'd seen him do so many times before something stressful that needed to be done. To her surprise, he extricated himself from her partial embrace and got down on one knee in front of her. "I don't want to waste any more chances with you, Diana. I think you're right. We can have a good life together." Diana watched everything move in what seemed to be slow motion as Bruce produced a small velvet box and opened it to reveal a simple but stunningly beautiful engagement ring. 

Bruce couldn't suppress a small smile as he watched Diana's beautiful brown eyes go wide with amazement at the reality of the situation unfolding before her. "I had a lot of really eloquent things that I was going to say," he admitted with more than a little embarrassment, "but now that the moment is here I don't think that I remember a single word of it." The smile that spread across her face in response to his was full of so much love that it made his heart soar. "I'm sure it was a lovely speech, Bruce, but perhaps just say what's in your heart. I promise you the truth means so much more to me than flowery words." 

"The truth," he replied, looking slightly downward so as not to meet her gaze directly,"is that for a very long time I wasn't sure it was possible to share my life with anyone. Then i met you through the most unusual circumstances, and somehow it seemed like I went from being alone to having a best friend, overnight. Except when we were together I felt things for you that went beyond friendship. I told myself that it was just an attraction, but I realized over time that it was so much more." In the pause that followed, as Bruce gathered his courage, he began to wonder if saying what was in his heart had not, in fact, been ill advised. He chanced a glance upwards and saw that while Diana's smiling face still shone with happiness, there were tears in her eyes, as well. "Diana, I am not a romantic by any means. But it is not an exaggeration to say that when I realized how I felt about you I knew, whether or not you felt the same or ever gave me a chance… I knew that I would love you for as long as I lived. Will you marry me?" 

Diana nodded emphatically until she found her words again, "Yes, I will marry you." The surprise and pure happiness that passed across his face when he realized that she accepted his proposal was something Diana would never forget. Bruce was no longer on one knee now. He was standing and pulling her to join him, slipping the ring onto her finger and kissing her breathless. To Diana, marriage had seemed a strange custom when she arrived in man's world. The idea of committing one's life to a single person and forgoing the freedom to love others seemed a sad thing. But while she held many of the Amazon beliefs about love to this day, that particular one changed in recent years. Diana would never deny what she had with Steve, but it was first love that was forged in a time of war. In truth, her time with him had been brief and idealistic and they never truly had time to explore each other's flaws. Looking back, as she sometimes did, Diana didn't know that she would have chosen a life with Steve, regardless of her feelings. Now, Diana knew an entirely different truth about love, because choosing a life with Bruce wasn't really a choice at all. He was as much a part of her as the beating of her own heart. The idea of binding herself to him was the most natural thing in the world: a gesture to cement the vow that no matter what life brought their way, they would face it together. 

The smile that Bruce wore when they finally broke the kiss was even wider than her own. Diana couldn't remember the last time she had ever seen him so content. "Just out of curiosity,"she asked, winding her arms around his neck, "when did you start planning this proposal?" Bruce seemed to contemplate the idea for a moment. "Oh, I started thinking about proposing a few months ago," he replied, glancing down at the engagement ring that now adorned her finger, "although, nothing went according to plan since then. Normally that would drive me crazy, but considering how everything turned out, I actually couldn't be happier." Diana cast him an incredulous look, "Really?" "Really," he answered, his grin becoming more of a smirk, "because in the end, you agreed to be my wife. I don't normally believe in Christmas miracles but maybe just this one time... I'm going to make an exception." Diana smiled warmly at his words. In the glow of a nearby lamp, her expression seemed to mirror all the love he felt at that moment."I suppose if you're feeling the holiday spirit that we should join the festivities down the hall," she noted, taking a step backwards,  
"especially since I was hoping to say a few words to everyone, before it got too late." "Sounds great," Bruce affirmed as they moved towards the open doorway, "and I know it wasn't part of the plan but if you wanted to announce our engagement, as well… I certainly wouldn't be opposed to it." Diana's laughter echoed in the hallway as they traveled hand in hand towards the sound of holiday music and raised voices. As usual, just when she thought that Bruce could no longer surprises her, he went and did just that.

Members of The League filled the ballroom which was decked out in sparkling lights and Christmas finery. She was slightly amused to see the man that most of the world knew as Superman behind the bar mixing drinks. Across the bar, Arthur seemed to be putting the limits of his Atlantean physiology to the test (or at least their alcohol tolerance). "Clark," Diana said softly, knowing full well that her friend could hear her clearly across the noise filled room, "is there any champagne back there?" "Yeah, sure there is," he responded, as if she were standing right beside him ",why do you ask?" Diana flashed him a knowing smile and watched Clark's confused expression transform into a wide eyed grin as she casually lifted her hand to display her engagement ring, and the reality of the situation dawned on him. Thankfully, Clark didn't fly across the room and tackle either of them into a bone crushing hug or even make a scene. He allowed her the space to say what needed to be said, including the happy news that would soon follow. As Diana walked towards the far side of the ballroom where she could best project her voice towards the crowd, she couldn't help but recall the day that she stood with Bruce and Alfred in the very same room, long before the ruins of Wayne Manor became the Hall of Justice. Now it was filled with friends and family, and a new generation of heroes who held untold potential for bettering the world of man. When Diana thought of how far they'd all come together, she could not deny that despite the darkness they faced in the past, the future was certainly brighter than she ever could have imagined. That, alone, was enough to make the most skeptical soul believe in miracles.


End file.
